Automatic player-piano.



1. A. WESER.

AUTOMATIC PLAYER PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED IIIAYzs. I9Ia.

1,156,956. PaIenIed 001. 19, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

.|. A. WESER.

AUTOMATIC PLAYER PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED MAI/26. 1913.

.1156956 Patented Oct. 19, 1915, @Q w, 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

o como COLUMBIA PLANDURAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

J. A. WESER.

AUTOMATIC PLAYER PIANO.

APPLlcMloN man MAY 2s, 1913.

1,156,956. Patented oen-19, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1. A. yWESER.

AUTOMATIC PLAYER PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26. I9I3.

1 156 956. Patented 061;.19, 1915. 9 I SHEETS-SHEET 4. I

ININHIIIIWINIII IIIIIIIIIIl III III* eIIIIIII UMBIA PMNDGRAPH C0.,WASHINOTQN. D. c..

JOHN A. .Westin 0F .NEW YORK. iv. v.

evremerle weven-Heee specinaabnff Leiters Patent.

Patented O'ct. 19, 19,15.

Application ledMay 26, 1913. Serial No. 769,849.

To all .t0/7mm tracy concern:

' Bc .it known that l, JOHN A. Witsen, a citizen of the United States, residing in the boroughv of Manhattan of the city of New Yorlr, in the State of New York, .have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Jeuitomatic Blayer-Pianos, of which the following is a specification, reference being had .to .the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to automatic player pianos and has for an object .to provide automatically operated nmeans controlled by a perforation in Vthe music sheet, to stop the travel of the music sheet at predetermined point.

rlhe invention is designed w-ith particular reference to player pianos in which is used a music sheet provided with perforations to form a series of musical compositions adapted to .be rendered successively, either upon the vintroduction of ,a coin foil teach piece or upon the proper manipulation manually controlledidevices. ln the use of a single sheet l,having thereon several independent musica-l lcompositions it is a matter of k,primaryimportance lto make the sheet as short as possible and accordingly the margin of waste paperbetween .the last perforations of one piece and therst tperforations of the following piece must be as narrow ,as `possible. However, yit is ,a matter of equal importance to stop the movement of the sheet before vthe perforations of the piece next to be played "reach the vents in `,the tracker board'and when the vents in `the `tracker board are covered, in order .that the operating devices may again .beset in motion by automatic devices.

It is an object of kthisinvention to provide means operated ,and controlled by .the music sheet, which shall stop `the travel of .the music sheet quickly, shall lbe invariable in their operation and shall permit the mechanism to be started again automatically.

A ,fur-ther object is to provide in combination with the means just referred to, devices controlled by the same perforation which initiates .the movement of the pneumatic stopping devices and operable substajntially simultaneously with the `.latter to render inoperative the primary ,powermeans employed in the piano player.

@ther objects will appear hereinafter as this description proceeds, reference now .be-

ling had to the laccompanying rdrawings for a detailed description of a practical embodiment ofthe invention.

In the drawings7 Figure l is a fragmentary front view of an automatic playerpiano embodying` the present invention, showing so much thereof as is necessary for e. clear understanding of this invention. Fig. la is a fragmentary view in front elevation of a player piano in which the prime mover is an electric motor and embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view in section on tl e-plane indicated by the .broken line 2 2 of Figs. l and la lool?- ing in .the direction of the arrows, parts being omitted. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in front elevation showing the .tracker-box and its connections showing particularly the means for stopping the rotation of thewinding roll. Fig. is a fragmentary view of the same showing the parts in the positions .vhich they assume during the operation of the stopping devices. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary derail view of 4the winding roll, the music sheet being removed and a portion of the roll being broken away .to show the construction thereof, the roll being in its normal operating position or position of rest. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing .the roll in the same position in which it is shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing the coin slot and associated parts constructed in accordance with .the present invention. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 7. Fig. V9 is a view partly in horizontal section showing the arrangement of the electrodes vin the coin device with respect to the coin, the pneumatic devices being shown in plan in their normal position. 10 is a similar view showing the pneumatic devices in operative position to permit the coin to drop to the money box. Fig. 1l is a view in front elevation of the electrodes shown in Figs. 9 and 10, -the front :insulating plate being removed.

The playerpiano c illustrated in Fig. l is shown asihaving its main operating motor controlled through a knife switch b disposed in any convenient part of the electric circuit 722, b2 of the actuating motor B of the bellows B', assuming that the motor is electric'ally operated, although, as this description proceeds. it will be evident that the improvements about to be described are equally applicable to player-,pianos or piano-playA ers controlled through the insertion of a coin or deriving their wind power from manually or foot operated bellows, provision for the foot operation being made, in the illustrated embodiment, in the form of pedals B2. The motor B is connected operatively to the bellows B by pulleys B3 and belt B1. The player-piano a has supported therein in its usual position a tracker-box a in which is mounted in operative relation to the music sheet the tracker board a2. The music sheet 0 as .is usual may be carried on a rewind-roll d and caused to travel over the tracker board by the rotation of a winding roll e. The rotation of the latter may be brought about by an air motor f deriving its power from the main air supply F and wind-way F', the disposition and nature of the latter being immaterial for a clear understanding of this invention. The air motor y has suitable operative connections 7'" and f2 with the winding roll e and the rewind or carrier roll CZ respectively. The form and relative arrangement of the parts thus far mentioned may be as usual or as desired and a detailed description thereof need not be set forth here.

This invention is concerned primarily with the quick and invariable stopping of the music sheet c after the playing of a piece in accordance with a series of perforations formed therein and with the restarting of the same. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 14k the music sheet c has formed therein perforations constitutingr successive and independent musical compositions. lt is in its use with a music sheet of this character that the present invention is of especial importance. The eXtent of paper between the last perforation c of one musical composition and the first perforation c2 of the following composition on the music sheet must be as short as possible in order that the bulk of the music sheet may be reduced to a mini.- mum. After the last perforation c of one piece has passed over its vent in the tracker board a2. the travel of the music sheet must be interrupted before the first perforation c2 of the succeeding piece comes into operative position over its vent. To effect this stopping of the travel of the music sheet a side perforation 03 is formed therein which cooperates With a corresponding vent formed in the tracker board to initiate the movement of special function devices which will now be described.

At one side of the tracker-box a within the piano case is disposed a pneumatic g of usual type. This pneumatic has its movable member connected through a suitable link (7 with a reciprocating plunger g2 mounted in the side of the tracker-box. The head g3 of the plunger g2 is normall.7 in spaced relationship to the adjacent end flange' e of the winding roll e, so that the free rotation of the latter in the usual manner with its drive sha-ft i, is permitted. The roll is mounted loosely on the shaft and is adapted to be driven thereby through a suitable clutch. As appears most clearly in Figs. l and the shaft i has secured thereto at its left hand end within the tracker-box a collar 71, which has one or more studs 7a2 adapted to engage a corresponcing stud c2 projecting from the end flange c of the roll e. At the other end of the shaft z, also within the tracker-box a is secured a friction disk la?" with which the adjacent end flange c3 of the winding roll e is adapted to make frictional contact when the winding roll e is moved longitudinally along its shaft 7L` to the right as viewed in Figs. @L and 5. It is to be noted that the cooperating studs )t2 and e2 constituting the clutch engagement of the shaft 7i with the winding roll c are of such length that when the roll c is moved to the right (as viewed in Figs. 4L and said studs will become disengaged from leach other before the end flange e3 of the winding roll engages with the friction disk r. The purpose of this construction will appear later.

From the construction just described and the relative arrangement of parts, it will now appear that the purpose of the reciprocating plunger (/2 is to move the winding roll e to the right (as seen in Figs. 4 and along its shaft le., so that it shall become disenged from the shaft. The engagement of the head rf of the plunger g2 with the end flange e of the winding roll e brings about a braking action on. the roll so that the roll is not only freed from its driving shaft h but its rotation is partially checked. The travel of the music sheet is checked by the momentary disengagement of the roll c with its shaft h and the braking acti on as pointed out above but it is desirable that the continued movement of the roll. longitudinally under the action of the plunger' (/2 should bring its end flange c3 into frictional contact with the friction disk f1.3, to continue for an instant the rotation of the roll. The purpose of permitting the roll to be carried on momentarilv by the momentum of the moving parts through its frictional contact with the friction disk is to insure the travel of the stopping perforation c2 past the vent in the tracker board so that the travel of the music sheet may be started again automatically, which would not be the case if this stopping vent were left uncovered. lVhen the plunger g2 is permitted to return to its normal position. which happens as soon as the starting vent is covered, the roll c is moved simultaneously along the shaft z. to its normal position under the action of a suitable spiral spring z' which mav be interposed between the end of the roll and the friction disk il?. 'lhs movement of the winding roll e to the left (as seen in Figs. 4 and 5) takes it out ofV frictional Contact with the friction disk and into contactv with the plunger head, whereby the rotation of the roll is stopped. It also bringsthe stud e2 in operatiye position with respect to the cooperating studs il? on the collar It (the shaft It having come to rest meanwhile), so that the subsequent Aoperation ofthe primary power means will result in rotation of the winding roll c to bring 'the perforations yof the neXt musical oo mposition into goperative relation with respect to the tracker board (Z2.

Itwill now appear cl-early that when the side perforation c3 in the music sheet c registers with the stopping vent in the tracker board c the pneumatic g, being operatively connected to said vent through a suitable valve, indicated generally at ct, and intermediate tubing c5, will be collapsed to move the plunger o2 to bring about the ouiclr and invariable stopping of the rotation of the winding roll c, in the manner set forth fully above ln combination with the embodiment in F ig. l in which the primary power means is shown as controlled through a knife switch b carried on the casing of the piano a, another pneumatic device, controlled by the perforation c3, may be employed ,to operate simultaneously with the bellows g gto break the electric circuit of the prime mover and thus stop the operation of such prime mover and therefore the operation of the air motor 7" almost simultaneously with the `disengagement of the winding roll c from its shaft Zt. Such a pneumatic device is indicated at j and is shown as having an adjustable stud j" carried on its movable member and adapted to engage the free :end of the knife' switch Z) to throw the latter so as to break the electric circuit when the bellows y' is collapsed. As ivill appear hereinafter, other devices to interrupt the motor circuit may be employed in combination with the stopping means before described.

The kcoin controlled devices may be mounted in any suitable part of the lcasing of the piano a, the mouth if; of the slot ,of course being exposed to receive coins.l In the coin Ichute k are disposed itwo spaced electrodes Z and Z insulated from ,each other and carrying suitable terminals Z2 and Z3 respectively to which may be secured the wires leading to the primary actuating electric motor. *WhenA a coin is introduced into the coin chute I7c it will pass into J,contact with the yelectrodes Z and Z -and bridge the same so as to complete the electric circuit through the primary actuating motor and thus start it. As indicated before this motor, being operatively connected to the main feeder bellows, serves to operate all of the player pneumatic devices. Obviously, the loperat #i011 ef the meter will matinee 9.1.1.1r .SISO leas asthe coin ybridges .theelectrodes Zand Z and accordingly it necessary to provide in the chute In" a vsuitable stop, as ne, to limit the movement of the Vcoin 'during the playing `vof any one piece. rlhe stop fm, illustrated herein comprises simply a block pivotally mounted on a lstud m so that it may be oscil- Alated into and out of lits operative position with respect to the coin chute. In the preferred embodiment, the stop m is held in position to limit the movementof the coin by a suitable leaf spring n. From the description given .it will be evident that the pneumatic Ldevices will continue lto operate as long yas the motor circuit completed by a lcoin .and accordingly it is necessary to release the coin from its contact with the electrodes ZandZ after the rendition ,of one or morel musical compositions, as may be desired. The' releasing devices for the coin are illustratec'l lier in as pneuinatically operated, the primary o of ythe yconi'lrolling pneumatic o being in communication with a suitable vent 1in the traclrer board ,which may have icooperating A,tliereivith a suitable special vfunction perforation in .the music Sheet. .On the movable member of the .pneumatic o is carried an arm y02 in which may be an adjustable abutment 03 which is adapted to engage and oscillate thestop m, when the `b ellt'm's o is collapsed. As pointed out before, the oscillation of the stop in, is to permit the coin to drop into y the money box.

is will be appreciated, it is often desirable-to permit the introduction of a series of coins in the coin chute 7c in an automatic Player rifle@ which has e eee-temes masi@ sheet in i `lich arefperforations for a series of separatey pieces, so that one piece after another ,may bev performed in succession without requiring a c oin to @be inserted after each piece. Such provision is made `by mounting on the movable member of the bellows 0 a second arm ,o4 whichicarries at its free end ,a relatively long lo?, which, when the .bellows A,is collapsed, as shown in Fig. l0, may be moved inwardly to a position Ybe, ,neuith one of the vcoins in the coin chute 7c .so as to support ,the same and all above it', Awhen `the oscillation of the ystop m permits the coin below the piu to Edrop into thef'riioney box. lWhren the bellows o is permitted to resume its distended position the stop im, resumes its normal position in the coin Achute is and the stud 05 is then withf drawn from its supporting position so as to permit the coin resting thereon to Adrop to operative position between the electrodes Z and Z and thus close .the motor circuit and bring about the rendering ofthe next musical lcomposition on the music sheet. As will be understood, Iby providing in the music sheet for each piece, a suitable perforation to op ate the bellows 0 immediately after the risse .has ,been played, kthe coin .which loko has brought about the rendering of that piece may be permitted to drop into the money boX and the following coin be permitted to drop into operative position to bring about the playing of the next musical composition. Obviously the rnumber of pieces thus played consecutively and continuously is limited only by the number of pieces which may be put on a single music sheet and by the number of coins which are intrcduced at any one time tinto the coin chute lo.

Another feature of the invention which will be found to be of great convenience resides in the provision of a program plate p which may have listed on its exposed face the names of the pieces on the music sheet, with corresponding numbers. The music sheet may have printed thereon in the margin between the perforations of successive pieces the corresponding number of the piece next to be played. The program plate has formed therein a suitable sight opening p which is so placed with reference to the printed piece number on the music sheet, that when the movement of the music sheet is stopped, as by the devices hereinbefore described, the piece number will be exposed to view through the sight opening p, thus indicating te the observer by reference to the program plate, the name of the piece next to be played. It is desirable to mount the plate p pivotally on a stud Q er the like so that the plate may be swung out of position to permit the removal of the music sheet or for other purposes.

Modifications in the details of construction and the relative arrangement of parts herein described will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and it is therefore to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction and arrangement shown and described herein.

I claim as my invention:

l. In combination with an automatic motor-operated player piano and a music sheet operatively mounted therein, means to stop the travel of the music sheet, independent means to stop the motor and devices controlled by a perforation in the music sheet to initiate the operation of both said means.

2. In combination with an automatic motor-operated player piano and a music sheet operatively mounted therein, independent pneumatically operated devices controlled by a single perforation in the music sheet to stop simultaneously both the motor and the travel of the music sheet.

3. In combination with an automatic electro-motor-operated player piano the circuit therefor and a music sheet operatively mounted therein, a carrier roll, a winding roll, means to rotate the winding roll, devices to stop the travel of the music sheet and independent devices to interrupt simultaneously the circuit, both of said devices being controlled by a single perforation in the music sheet.

4L. In combination with a player piano and a music sheet operatively mounted therein, a carrier roll for the music sheet, a winding roll, a drive shaft on which the latter is lloosely mounted, means to engage operatively the drive shaft with the winding roll, devices controlled by a perforation in the music sheet to disengage the winding roll from the drive shaft and independent means operable simultaneously to stop the rotation of the drive shaft.

5. In combination with a player piano and a music sheet operatively mounted therein, a carrier roll for the music sheet, a winding roll, means to rotate the winding roll, means to release the winding roll from the rotating means, driving means with which the roll has a frictional engagement after the operation of the releasing means whereby the rotation of the winding roll is continued momentarily in the same direction, and devices to initiate the operation of the releasing means.

G. In combination with a player piano, a carrier roll for the music sheet, a winding roll, means to rotate the winding roll, clutch elements interposed between the winding roll and the rotating means, means to unclutch the winding roll from the rotating means and independent clutch devices operable subsequently to the operation of said unclutching means to engage the winding roll and cause its rotation in the same direction.

7. In combination with a player piano and a music sheet operatively mounted therein, a carrier roll for the music sheet, a winding roll, .means to rotate the winding roll, means to release the winding rell from the rotating means, devices controlled by a perforation in the music sieet to initiate the operation of the releasing means. and devices to engage the winding roll and continue its rotation in the same direction to carry said perforation beyond its vent in the tracker ioard. y

S. In combination with a player piano, a carrier roll for the music sheet, a winding roll, means to rotate the winding roll, clutch elements interposed between the winding roll and the rotating means, means to release the winding roll from the rotating means, and independent devices operable subsequently to the operation of said releasing means to engage the winding roll and continue its movement in the same direction to carry the music sheet to a position where it may be subsequently started automatically upon the actuation of the rotating means.

9. In combination with a player piano and n. music sheet operatively mounted therein,

a carrier roll for the music sheet, a winding roll, a drive shaft on which the winding roll is slidably mounted, means to engage operatively the drive shaft with the winding roll, a frictional disk carried on the drive shaft, means to slide the winding roll along the drive shaft to release the winding roll from the drive shaft and engage subsequently said roll with the frietional disk, and devices controlled by a perforation in the music sheet to initiate the operation of the means to slide the winding roll aiong the drive shaft.

10. In combination with a player piano and a music sheet operatively mounted therein, a carrier roll for the music sheet, a winding roll, a drive shaft on which the winding roll is slidably mounted, means to engage operatively the drive shaft with the winding roll, a frictional disk carried on the drive shaft, means to slide the winding roll along the drive shaft to release the winding roll from the drive shaft and engage subsequently said roll with the frictional disk, devices controlled by a perforation in the music sheet to slide the winding roll along the drive shaft and a spring to slide the winding roll along the drive shaft in the opposite direction and release the same from engagement with the frictional disk when the releasing means return to normal position.

1l. In combination with a player piano and a music sheet operatively mounted therein, a carrier roll for the music sheet, a Winding roll, a drive shaft for the winding roll on which the latter is slidably mounted, clutch devices interposed between the winding roll and the drive shaft, a reciprocating plunger mounted operatively with respect to the winding roll, a pneumatic controlled by a perforation in the music sheet, connections between the plungerand the movable member of the pneumatic whereby upon operation of the latter the plunger is moved to slide the winding roll along its shaft to disengage it from the drive shaft and a frictional disk carried on the drive shaft to engage with the winding roll after the operation of the disengaging means.

This specification signed and witnessed this twenty-second day of May, A. D. 1913.

JOHN A. vWESER.

Signed in the presence of- E. L. GRAEFFE, WORTHINGTON CAMPBELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

